The book of Lore: A heroes path
by TheChampionOfLight
Summary: Lissia is a normal girl brought into extraordinary circumstances. Will her adventures reveal why she can enter this world and can she become the hero Lore need's her to be... Drakath x Lissia (OC)
1. What the hell is going on!

The Book of Lore: A heroes path

 _Chapter 1 - What the hell is going on!_

Lissia was seventeen years of age and was relatively normal for a girl of her age. She spent each weekday struggling to force herself awake and into her school uniform - wasting much her preparation time simply sitting on her bed, blankly staring at her alarm clock and thinking of how tired she was. She spent her school days hanging out with her friends and daydreaming when she didn't have anything to study. Weekends were spent sleeping in and on the Internet.

She lived with her parents - Daniel and Fern - as well as her six year old brother, Mason. Like both her parents, Lissia had black hair with a soft wave that she kept shoulder length and unlike her parents she had cloud grey eyes that almost seemed to change with her mood - the only truly remarkable thing about her. Her life was normal and while it had not been untouched by sadness, she was happy with it and had no wish for it to change all that much.

It is unfortunate (or perhaps fortunate for us as otherwise there would be no story) that fate tends not to listen to opinions.

 _Lissia,s POV_

I had finally returned home from another long day of school and I knew I had the house to myself as today was Wednesday, meaning Dad would be working up at the local radio station for his weekly show - he used to let me and sometimes some friends help out every so often when I was little making him popular with the oldies and young parents who thought it cute - and mom would be over at the ball pool with Mason, who loved it just as much as I had once upon a time. This meant I could do anything I felt like doing but I wasn't all that sure what _to_ do, I had finished Dragonfable completely only four days ago so I couldn't really play that unless I wanted to restart and I didn't want to watch TV.

After a few moments I sighed and was preparing to venture to the TV and see if there was anything good on (How I met your Mother, Adventure Time or maybe some DBZ) when a flash of inspiration hit me like a bolt of lightning. One of my online friends from the DF forums had told me Artix Entertainment had releases a new title by the name of Adventure Quest Worlds - a multiplayer meaning that later I could get my school friends to play it with me though I decided to play solo for now so I could get to grips with the controls.

So I ran along the bottom floor of my house until I got the stairs and then spreading up those, then along 'till I got to my small room. It was a mess plain and simple, but I knew where everything was and tended to claim it was my own filesystem to get out of tidying it, which was strange considering I enjoyed having some level of neatness. I continued past the mess and to the window seat sitting down on it as I picked the laptop up from beside me, then setting it on my lap. It took only a few clicks to find the website. I began character creation.

I thought I would create an avatars like in Dragonfable, but it seemed I was wrong. As far as I could see the only thing I could see on screen was a blank platform, the name box and the four class choices. Mage, Warrior, Rouge and Healer. I immediately left the healer class be as I tended to play battle style rather than support. I eventually chose warrior after discovering you could gain other classes later and deciding it a good starting point. Then I moved to the name box (as the platform was still empty) just entered my real name as I could see no warning against it.

I clicked complete, happy that a new adventure awaited in this digital world.

Every thing went black.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~An unknown time later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

I groaned, my head hurt like hell, my body felt like rock and I couldn't open my eyes. God what had hit me! The area was soft below my body so I knew I was not on my floor. Mum or Dad must have found me and put me to bed. I felt a male hand rest on my forehead. So dad was in with me. I just about to speak - to ask what was wrong with me - when the door slammed open and a youngish male voice yelled "HEY WALRIC!" making the man beside me jump - now known not to be dad - and me discover I could not in fact move.

"Artix, I thought I had told you not to do that!" the man by my bedside stated as he moved his hand from my head and - I could only guess - turn to the second man.

When the new man spoke he sounded sheepish "Sorry Walric, I was just excited to see if the girl had woken up yet".

'I must be in a hospital then' I thought as my mind started to slow down 'I wonder if I have concussion' and I fell asleep to the voices of the (now) fwo concerned voices discussing my condition.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some more time later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

 _No-one's POV_

An indefinable amount of time later Lissia awoke in a room that was most defiantly not a hospital or her room and she began to mentally panic only letting out a tiny whimper for fear of alerting the two men that she vaguely remembered from the last time she was awake. The room was pleasant, made completely out of wood, the bed she had been on was comfortable and it did not seem the windows or doors were locked - why if she was her prisoner - but she did not allow herself to lower her guard. The news and general TV had warned her, like any teenager about situations like this.

She quietly moved around the room looking to see if there was anything to use as a weapon. Then she reached the mirror - small, simple and pleasant like the room - hanging on the wall and she screamed.

She had already noted mentally that she was still wearing her white school shirt in her normal after school messy fashion and still had her faded black skinny jeans so had not thought much more about her appearance. She should have noticed she had shrunk she thought panicked 'I was short but not this short' (later she would find that her panic had made her think she had lost a lot more than she had actually lost) her eyes that had once been quite small had somehow grown larger making her emotions and eye colour much clearer. Her hair had taken a slight spiked quality almost like right out of an anime.

She could hear footsteps hurrying up stairs outside the door as she snapped out of her moment of panic and was about to hurry to block the door - cursing as she moved for giving herself away due to her appearance like a fangirl - when the window smashed due to somebody jumping through it. A second later she discovered that it was not in fact a somebody but in fact just a body, an animated corpse had just started moving towards her with a sword raised - Lissia despondently that there was screaming coming from outside as she stared.

Then the door decided to join the explosion party as another body - an actual living one this time - wearing armour shot through it and pushed the corpse along with himself out the already broken window. Lissia felt herself being pulled backwards and a few seconds she found herself sitting at a table looking deeply into the spiced milk she had been given which had calmed her very quickly and listening to the new silence from outside.

"Do you feel better now Miss" said the calm voice from earlier in a soothing tone. She stayed silent for a moment then spoke.

"No...No I'm not." She paused then began again getting loude as she spoke "I want to know what the hell is going on! What the hell happened earlier with the zombie and the window and the guy!" She finished now glaring at her half drunk cup.

"It was one of Sepulchure's scouting parties, used for gaining fear and sowing panic as due to how small and weak the parties are they are not to dangerous, but surely you must know this as you must know of the war?" He answered in his calm voice the end of the question showing only a tiny amount of curiosity.

I dismissed what sounded almost like a growl from inside my head that sounded when the strange yet familiar name was spoken as imaginary. I didn't know anything about any of what he was talking about.

"Please." I started to beg "Just tell me..." my voice trailed of as I finally looked up at the man before me...and recognised him. The white haired man was none other than Walric a character from a game.


	2. Explanations, Sanctuary and On the Road

The Book of Lore: A heroes path

 _Chapter 2 - Explanations, Sanctuary and On the Road_

 _Lissia's POV_

It took a while for the hysteria of realising I had been somehow launched into a video game. I know it sounds sort of pathetic after the way I had been carrying on earlier but it was one thing to read about it occurring in fan fiction and quite another to have it actually occur to you.

So many questions were swirling around in my mind. How had this happened? How could I get home? What did my family think had happened?

I was glad Walric believed me as he was instrumental in calming me down. While - from what I understood - portals were semi-common it was unusual for a world without magic of any type to connect with this world - he hadn't even been aware that such worlds existed and was fascinated by the idea of it being connected to his by a game. "You should not worry Lissia." he spoke in his calming timber "Portals tend to reopen given time and until then you may remain here".

"Are you sure that's okay?" I asked, more for politeness than anything else, releived that he was willing to help me. I trusted Walric, he was a good guy in DF and I don't think he would be that different in reality.

It was at this point that Artix - whom had been so quiet I had almost forgotten that he was in the room along with Yulger (the man who owned the inn I had been sleeping in) - spoke with a large smile. "Of course you should stay here!" He announced as Yulger nodded - as I would likely remain at his inn - "and while you're here I can show you arond. I mean you have to see the palace in Swordhaven, I will bet you've never seen anything like it".

So it was decided that I would become a resident of Battleon for the duration of my time in this world.

- _-Three days later-_

 _Nobody's POV_

Over the next week and a half, Lissia was introduced to the town of Battleon as Walric's niece that had been sent to him by her mother as his ward due to the rather unpredictable nature of her father's magical studies - her mother wanted Lissia far away foreign such dangerous matters. The townspeople thought that she had clearly never heard of Cicero.

This cover story had been distributed rather quickly thanks to the red moglin Twilly's excitable nature and had been created to insure Lissia's safety due to the war as - while it was a little dangerous to be seen as related to the great mage - it was better than having her being captured just incase another base/place could be found by using her for Sepulchure and his armies.

Lissia spent the first few days primarily in the company of the calm Walric, ditzy Artix and friendly Yulgar trying to understand the new worle was in. Atrtix had also began to attempt to continue the brief lessons she had been given in fencing as a young girl and it wasn't going so well. Everything seemed wrong about the swords they used - they were either too light or too heavy - and she had forgotten much from those long ago lessons. Lissia had also become quite close to Twilly as she found his excitable nature endearing - unlike Aritx who, while excitable only seemed to be so when in the presence of undead - and near the end of the second week also found a friend in Cicero much to Walric's amusement and despair.

At the end of the third week, Lissia's amazement and enjoyment of Battleon, the strange animals there and her new friends could no longer distract her from her previous sadness and fear. She greatly missed her family, friends and home and started to stop leaving her residence in Yulgar's Inn - which was noticed by Walric and made him feel quite concerned for his proclaimed ward. So concerned was he, that in order to bring about the return of the cheerful young lady he had come to know, he finally acquiesced Arix's request to bring Lissia with him to Swordhaven on Friday in two days time.

Once again, fate had timed things perfectly...

 _Lissia's POV_

I wasn't being given a choice in this, that fact was apparent when Walric gave me the small leaf-green bag containing a four health potions, two sandwiches, 40 gold and a small but sharp knife. I glared as he explained that "this is what is best for you" and "you cannot simply waste away in that room".

He clearly had never been around a teenager before, we're sullen and we hide in our rooms all day. It was going a bit far to say that he had thought I had become a vampire due to how dark my room was. I was perfectly justified to be a bit huffy as we - me and Artix - walked through the woods.

" _Well what about Twilly?_ " a voice in my head spoke faintly " _We didn't have to snap at the poor little guy_ ". I winced. My conscience was right, the day before we had left Twilly had asked what was wrong and I went and yelled. Yelled at one of my friends that was concerned for me, perhaps Walric was right and I really did have to find something to distract me before I said or did anything I didn't mean.

I nodded my head to myself. When I got back from Swordhaven I would make sure to apologise to all my friends and bring Twilly a treat.

I froze and looked around the clearing me and Artix had come to - partially oblivious to the fact Artix had stopped and turned to look at me from a little away where he had been for the past 45 minutes thanks to my pouting and then deep thoughts - I had thought I had heard a small relieved sigh...

I shook my head and - this time keeping beside Artix and beginning an animated discussion - continued walking after dismissing the strange imaginings of my mind. As we walked I only vaguely noticed the strange grey clouds billowing to the sky in the direction we were heading. Lore was so strange...


	3. HOLY SHIT! (Aka, Time for battle)

The Book of Lore: A hero's path

 _Chapter 3 - HOLY SHIT! (Aka, Time for battle)_

 _Nobody's_ _POV_

He was running – joyfully swinging his golden axe through the air and undead heads alike – through the destruction and flames that had breached into Swordhaven from the battle outside its walls. As her destroyed his eternal foes he had the bizarre feeling that he had forgotten something, something important. He absent mindedly wondered about what it could be as he saved another civilian form an undead ice mage. It was a young dark haired woman….wait…

"LISSIA!" Artix exclaimed – much to the fright of said young woman – and charged off to find the unprepared ravenet. He really hoped she wouldn't tell Walric…

-Elsewhere in Swordhaven-

She was soooo telling this to Walric.

After Artix had spotted the Undead filling Swordhaven, he had ditched her – running like a madman into the masses of undead and flames. It hadn't taken long for the walking skeletons to notice her and so she ran – what else could she do as what little she knew in the way of fighting was with a sword, not a knife or fists. Said knife was quickly lost in the chaos and devastation of Sepulchure's army, leaving Lissia unarmed and lost within the chaos.

(She really was beginning to wish she had been sent into a more peaceful RPG as Artix Entertainment loved their epic wars while she was not so thrilled about them.)

At least until she somehow managed to find her way into the castle without being skewered or blasted by the hordes of skeletons. There she met the green-clad Robina who asked her to go and find her fath – I mean the kings – knights. Lissia agreed, believing that it could not be that difficult to get them safely and that she should do whatever little she could to help… even if she did wonder at Robina's choice of sending her when she wasn't doing anything and at the fact she was in her disguise in the castle near her father.

Then after finding the – oddly named – knights, she returned to Robina. Her 'Quest reward' was a rusted old sword. The sword was about the length of her arm and - as stated before – covered in rust. The pommel was plain other than a see-through, glass-like stone set in the top in addition to that, along the blade were symbols etched into the metal that were faintly visible. Lissia had awkwardly began to thank Robina for the… wonderful item, but she was quickly thrown in the direction of the throne room as she was told to go protect the king.

Thus leading to her current place outside the great doors of the throne room. She looked quickly behind her – hoping against hope for back-up or Artix – sighed, clenched her fists with eyes shut and then ran through the doors.

 _Lissia's_ _POV_

For one brief moment after I entered the room and my eyes found the kings form – sitting on the throne, one hand on his sword – I thought that I had succeed and everything would somehow be okay now.

I goddamned jinxed myself.

The moment I moronically relaxed my frayed nerves the wall exploded and a red blur slammed into the king – who somehow had stood in the brief second I turned to the explosion – but only the sound of two swords meeting rang through the air.

I was mesmerized by fear and awe at the sight of the two old ex-friends battle, but there was something else directed towards the king – something odd that I couldn't pin point… 

No matter how amazing the king was doing in the battle he was old and did not have an evil talking sword to help power him up, soon he was pushed to the floor. Sepulchure smashed the king into the ground by the throat, then he threw him across the room. The fiendish red armored DoomKnight stood back for a moment – reveling in defeating his foe no doubt – then began moving tauntingly forward. I tightened the grip that clutched at my new crappy sword tightly, desperate for some reassurance.  
I remembered Sepulchure from DragonFable. I remembered how much trouble he had given my character. How powerful he was and knew he could and would swat me like a fly, but something…something strange…something deep inside me that screamed to be released and would not allow anything such as logic or fear to hold it back.

And  
the  
barrier  
broke…

"YOU'RE HIGHNESS!" My voice yelled in a tone of worry that I had never heard tumble from my lips before now. I charged forward, between the evil that was moving forwards and my King (…when had I ever thought of him as my King…) my sword drawn before me, the perfect weight and for some reason I found it disconcerting that it wasn't glowing (the stupid thing had never glowed, it was pretty boring). Sepulchure moved forwards quickly and I felt no fear…

…And then I did. What the hell was I doing! I barely knew how to fight!HowcouldIbea-

tsomeonelikeSepulchureandohmyGod!

I knew the absolute terror was showing on my face because Sepulchure smirked – it was the only bit of his face the mask showed – and why wouldn't he? A stupid child had just stepped where she didn't belong!

His quick movements ceased, the King was struggling to get up and was failing and there I was – stood between the two battling giants even though all I was – could be – to them was a mouse or speck of dust. All Sepulchure did was stare and I wished to flee, the sword felt heavy now and whywastherenobackup?WherewasRobina?WherewasArtix?

Words began to tumble from my mouth before my frenzied brain could stop them – "If you want to get to the King you'll have to go through me!"

Those brave words though cloaked with my fear couldn't be mine, they couldn't be…

The Doomknight started to laugh. And _who did he think he was! That bastard had no right to laugh at her, she_ I prayed silently for Artix to rush through the door or window because _don't be afraid that's what he wants, we can_ nothing was all I offered in this situation!

"So," his words echoed out of his helmet "this is what you are reduced to Alteon, hiding behind a frightened child who can barely hold her sword. A coward who can't even stand and fight to her end."

I froze. The End. That's what this was and he was right I was being a coward. If this was it I wanted to go with dignity, like my ancestors who had battled in wars of the past, wouldn't they feel ashamed if the first born girl for generations died a coward? I _d_ i _d_ n' _t_ w _a_ n _t_ t _o_ d _i_ e, I couldn't get the fear to leave me, but I stopped my shaking and forced my sword -held with two hands- up. _I_ h _a_ d _t_ o _b_ e b _r_ a _v_ e, but I couldn't stop my tears that streamed down my face.

He tilted his head slightly to the side curiously to the side briefly and changed. As he rapidly approached I felt eyes on my back pleading me to flee, my eyes closed involuntarily and I thought of MumDadMasonJaceMeghanJulieWalricYulgarTwillyArtix and then

CLANG

…my eyes flew open. The shock was palpable, my hero was…me.  
My sword was blocking Sepulchure's sword and I was alive. The sword felt light. How was forced from my mind as I saw the fury grow in Sepulchure. He tried again and I blocked. Again he tried and again I blocked. My confidence began to grow and something deep down cheered. I jumped backwards from him, I was getting confident not crazy.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you little pest" He rumbled "It is a shame that you are a Good little hero instead of on the winning side"

I was prepared to block another sword strike when another attacked.

"Indeed she is a Good hero that would never join the ranks of Evil!" Alteon proclaimed.

Agree, Agree, Agree

"I am neither Good nor Evil" My voice sounded loudly to my ears then became soft "I'm just…" but before I could finish a purple light slammed into the ground, knocking everyone down to their knees. We all looked up from our positions and saw a man with paper pale skin, startling green eyes and black hair that spiked back from his face. He wore black armor with what looked to be a living and moving purple eye on it and he also had something that looked like a leathery cloak.

"DRAKATH!?" The two men yelled when they saw him that bastard is still around, but my mind was dazed from the repeated shocks my body and mind had taken, my mind began to slow down. Then he suddenly attacked them. "What...!?" King Alteon managed to splutter as he fell down again. My body dragged itself over to him because I have to protect Robina would be sad if anything happened to her father. I pulled him up by his shoulders to check the damage. Icky Purple eye thingies had sprouted on him and he was breathing heavily, but he was definitely alive. I think that that's the concussion. "FOOL. YOU CANNOT KILL WHAT IS ALREADY UNDEAD".

My head turned slowly towards him as he shouted – the King held protectively in my arms – a new voice – of the green eyed man my mind supplied - spoke as I did so "My mistake..." and I watched in muted horrified when I saw him lunge at Sepulchure and rip something dark out of his body. "I AM DARKNESS! I AM DOOM... NO FORCE ON THIS WORLD CAN DESTROY WHAT I AM! LONG UNLIVE THE SHADOWSCYTHE!" Screamed Sepulchure the man crushed the dark essence within his hands. As Sepulchure fell apart I could feel something morn through the muted mess of my thoughts. Whatever was left of him then erupted into the sky.

I heard a voice scream "Father...NOOO!"  
The man walked to the massive hole in the wall and seemed to speak but I couldn't hear. Darkness began to dance at the edges of my vision – It was rather pretty. My attention was drawn back by a purple blast fly from the man and a large crash sounded from outside. The man began to laugh wildly.

The he silenced as he calmed and proclaimed "The battle between Good and Evil is over. Now begins, the AGE OF CHAOS!" God he's still annoying

The King shifted in my grip and suddenly groaned and said "What is happening to me!? Drakath... What have you done?"

He laughed again and said "Heh. Not feeling like yourself, King? Not You or anyone can stop what I'm about to do to your world. Watch as my 13 Lords of Chaos destroy everything that you love"

Villains never won, did they? They didn't in stories. Yes, defiantly concussion talking I didn't mean to speak aloud the sentiment that was circling my confused mind in differing ways but my voice defiantly said "You can't win" because his eyes immediately jumped to me.

It was as if he had just noticed me, which was probably true…

He continued to stare at me as if looking through my soul and it was starting to make me uncomfortable. Creepy killer cute guy stop. (I would later be glad that this thought did not pass my lips) I think he said something directed to me and the King but the dark dance had taken over most of my vision by now and its pretty dance was distracting and he left while I became slowly more encompassed by it.

It was at the moment just before it took over my entire vision that Artix slammed through the door yelling my name, followed by a worried Robina. I mentally giggled as my body fell to the side.

Silly Rabbit.


	4. Finally some answers!

The Book of Lore: A hero's path

 _Chapter 4 – Finally some answers!_

 _Lissia's_ _POV_

It was dark. My eyes were open but that was all I could see. The pitch black shadows of nothingness that encased my body in a light grip that was as smooth as silk. This was incredibly disturbing to me as I had just been having a bizarre dream that consisted of a Twilly-sized Artix with white rabbit ears screaming about being late for undead slaying. Then I was ripped from the colorful world my mind has created and brought here – wherever here was- where I could do nothing but float within the dark world.

"Hello!" I called, my voice echoing like the ring of a bell "Is anyone there?"

 _Hello_ came the distorted but clearly female voice that emanated from all around the darkness like sheet music that was missing notes.

"Who are you?" I asked, curious as to what strange being my mind had created – most likely – to deal with the bullshit I had just dealt with. I really hoped I didn't have trauma of some kind, though I wouldn't be surprised.

 _You know my name, Lissia_ came the voice in its discordant way once more.

"I am really sure that I don't!" I retorted partially annoyed at the fact my own mental creation didn't answer my question.

 _You truly do, you just don't remember it yet_ the voice spoke in such a tone that you could hear her smile and that - combined with the words themselves - irritated me.

"Can't you just refresh my memory" I seriously can't believe I am having to convince my own made-up voices to help me out.

 _Nope, sorry. You have to figure it out yourself._

"Can I at least have something to call you by? I really don't want to just keep calling you The Voice!"

 _You can call me…Conscious, Ava Conscious._

"…are you joking?" Did … Ava seriously create her name based on 'HAVE a conscious' or was it really an accident. I mentally slapped myself, Ava was not real. If anything, it proved my mind had a bizarre sense of humor. 

_No, for now that will do._

"So…why are you here Ava" I really, really hoped that I hadn't gone completely insane and this was just a temporary thing – or maybe some magic bullshit. Yeah, let's go with that.

 _Think of me as your Guide, I wasn't really supposed to be but now… well let's just say that you really need somebody to help you out a little in regards to what's happened to you._

Thank you magical bullshit. "R-really, you will tell me why I'm here!"

 _I can only tell you a little and I can only talk you in moments where you are in dire danger. I barely managed to get them to let me talk to you now, rather than just dump this crap with you and let you figure it out yourself._

I felt that was a little harsh but also felt thankful to Ava for getting me some kind of information – maybe she could tell me how to get home!

 _The first thing I must tell you is that this was not an accident. You were brought here and now for a specific reason – one even I am unsure of. Secondly here…_

A brief second later I felt something tightly bound around my middle finger of my left hand, but I couldn't see it due to the still all-encompassing dark.

 _Do not lose this. This is your key home b…_

"W-wait s-seriously, I can go home!" The joy that grew from within seemed to light up the area to my eyes for a moment. My way home was right there – literally in my grasp.

 _But you need the key phrase inscribed on the r_ _i_ _n_ _g t_ _o_ _l_ _e_ _a_ _v_ _e_ _o_ _r_ _r_ _e_ _t_ _u_ _r_ _n  
But do not leave until __E_ _s_ _c_ _he_ _ri_ _o_ _n i_ _s_ _d_ _ea_ _lt_ _w_ _i_ _t_ _h_

"Ava! What's happening" The darkness seemed to be shaking.

 _Our time togeth_ _e_ _r_ _i_ _s_ _e_ _n_ _d_ _i_ _n_ _g, re_ _m_ _em_ _b_ _e_ _r_ _y_ _o_ _u_ _m_ _u_ _s_ _t r_ _e_ _t_ _u_ _r_ _n_ _to th_ _is_ _world_ _wh_ _en_ _you leave_ _no_ _m_ _at_ _t_ _er wh_ _at!_

Her voice was becoming even more distorted and broken. The shadows were defiantly shaking and somehow cracking.

"Wait, was it you before. Why was I jealous!?"

 _B_ _e_ _c_ _a_ _u_ _s_ _e_ _h_ _e_ _i_ _s_ _m_ _-_

-A room in the palace-

My eyes flew open and stared upwards towards the stone ceiling. My heart pounded but I did not move. Though I had just been asleep, I did not feel the slightest bit rested as if I had just been awake somewhere else – though if Ava was what she said and not just a figment of my imagination, perhaps I had been.

The weight on my finger seemed to support that theory. I brought my hand to my face and gazed at the ring there. The band was plain silver and adorning it was four small gems – one yellow, one clear, one black and one purple – that almost looked as though they were one with how close together they were. I frowned. I couldn't see any words…then my breath caught in my throat as words began to write themselves in a golden light. As I was about to read them, I loud snore broke through the silent room, startling me into shrieking.

I turned quickly to the left as the snoring figure jumped to attention looking around the room for an invisible enemy.  
"A-artix?" I stammered, surprised at seeing him in the room I was sleeping in – wherever this was. The adorkable brunet looked at me as if he had never expected me to be in the room. Then, a gigantic grin lit his face and he launched himself at me, engulfing me in a tight hug.

"Lissia, thank god you woke up! Sir Junn said that you had concussion and it was bad you had fallen asleep because you mightn't wake up and that all he could do was tend to your wounds and hope thatyouwouldwakeupbutyoumightnotandwhatwouldItellWalricand-"

"Artix, Its okay! I'm awake just…please stop squishing me!"

Artix released his bone crushing hug and then rubbed his head sheepishly. "Err…sorry Lissia, it's just…I was getting worried that you weren't going to wake up and I promised Walric that you would come back safe and then I go and let this happen…" he honestly looked so upset, and I felt touched that this guy who had only known me for such a short time genuinely cared about me.

"It's not your fault, it's not like you could control if Sepulchure attacked." I couldn't prevent the slight physical flinch that occurred when my mind flashed with the image of what had happened to the DoomKnight "Anyway, how long was I asleep?" I finished in a yawn. I doubted that it could have been that long as my dream was short as was my communion with Ava.

"Three days"

Had I been drinking I am sure I would have done a spit take. That…was a lot longer than I had been expecting. I thought I had probably only been asleep for – at most – a day and a half.  
A moment later Artix left exclaiming that he would go get Sir Junn and if he thought I was good I could leave this room.

This left me alone, so I brought my gaze back to my new ring. The words were gone…

-20 minutes later-

Once Sir Junn had given me a clean bill of health, I was informed that the King wished to see me in the throne room. Walking along rubble filled halls with a puppy-like Artix constantly watching you to see if you will collapse while you are wearing a borrowed long-skirted nightdress with borrowed loose jacket for heat and to prevent yourself from irritating injuries under bandages is defiantly one way to get attention. We – finally – reached the throne room. As the gigantic doors opened and I entered alone – leaving Artix with an odd combination of a pout and eyes just waiting _no_ daring for something to attack – I distantly noted that it was bizarre for the doors to have remained in their pristine condition through the madness of the previous battle.

My feet quietly padded along the stone floor as I approached the throne and I began to become more and more self-conscious as I got closer. When I reached the steps leading to the throne I stopped – unsure of whether or not I should bow or curtsy or _something_ – and looked up at the old king. Somehow, even though he was covered in the purple eyes Drakath had somehow created and the weary exhaustion in his eyes, he still managed to look proud and wise and Kingly. My thoughts were interrupted by the Kings voice.

"Lady Lissia, I have heard and seen your great deeds during the invasion of my castle and fair city and I thank you."

I started slightly at the use of 'Lady' before I realized that it was likely due to the family connection to Walric of which he must have been informed of, after all Walric was an important and powerful mage as well as respected. There was no other reason I could see other than to be respectful of the mage. I flushed as he mentioned my so-called great deeds, most of which had occurred by accident or due to the pushiness of Robina.

The King then sighed and continued to talk, looking aged beyond his years. "While I am grateful for your help, I must ask of you to fulfill a task on my behalf. I require you to go to Shadowfall and contact my old enemy's daughter Gravelyn, then offer for a truce to be made between our two factions to defeat this new threat".

I wondered why he was asking somebody he had so little knowledge of to do anything for him – especially something that was as extremely delicate in nature as this. I stood completely still for several moments, contemplating just how I could go about telling a King 'no' to his face and – more importantly – if I even wanted to do this.

It…sounded safe enough.  
No one was asking me to kill any monsters.

And afterwards I could go home to Battleon and refuse to leave again.  
Simple.

I nodded my head as concession to the tired King.

He smiled and spoke once more "I thank you once more Lady Lissia. You may rest here in my castle until you are well enough to journey".

I presumed that this was my dismissal and so jerkily turned myself away from the King and towards the door – and therefor Artix.

Walric and Artix were going to kill me.

 _Alteon's_ _POV_

I watched Walric's niece leave my throne room. I let out a deep sigh once she had completely left the room. I felt a great guilt for asking the child – only slightly younger than Victoria – out to gain Gravelyn's help. I tried to look on this more positively, while the young woman seemed rather green in regards to fighting she had managed to prove herself in a battle with Sepulchure no less.

The girl was odd though. While anybody else would have proudly stated that they were Good or Evil, she had denied being either. It was vaguely unsettling and hearing anything other than a pronouncement of her Goodness seemed oddly wrong, a fact reminding me of the odd familiarity I felt when seeing her. This however was perhaps due to meeting her parents or even a passing similarity to Walric and was easily ignorable.

There was something deep inside that told me that this girl was important, a key player in what was to come which was the only reason that I was sending her instead of one of my knights.

I sighed once more before slouching in my throne, the silence of the room almost deafening and was no use in blocking the chilling words that I was almost sure the young woman had been far too dazed from her injuries to hear or perhaps remember.

 _"_ _I'll save you two for last, enjoy the show! HaHaHa…"_


End file.
